While we were in Paris my husband took us to a jazz club on the night of our 9th wedding anniversary. It became the best club experience I have to memory and today still holds that that title. Caveau des Oubliettes is a 12th century prison located in the Latin Quarter across the river from Notre-Dame. Beneath the subterranean vaults it was linked many centuries ago with the fortress prison of Petit Chatelet. The description of its history includes ‘complete with dungeons, spine-tingling passages, and scattered skulls, where prisoners were tortured and sometimes pushed through portholes to drown in the Seine’. As an Audrey Hepburn fan it made me feel like I was in her film, Funny Face.
When we arrived I was not exactly sure what to expect and followed my husband through the ground floor entrance to a windy stone stair case to the basement level. The passages were narrow and people were not confined to just the tables and chairs set before the stage. Some where at the bar and others standing or sitting on the stairway, listening and watching from around the wall. The cost of the drinks were a little pricey but not having to pay a cover charge for that experience leveled it out in my mind. If you love music I highly recommend checking out this scene.
While our 8th Wedding Anniversary that we spent at Pelham House in Lewes had topped all the rest, this night topped them all. Caveau des Oubliettes will most definitely be on our list of places to visit when we next return to Paris.
52 Rue Galande 75005 Paris France
*photographs belong to Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved – www.bonnie-rose.co.uk
